Case Study: Franck Muller achieves precise, efficient design of ultra-complex watch movements with SolidWorks

Watchmaker Franck Muller Uses SolidWorks to Update a Centuries-old Craft

Franck Muller, the Swiss watchmaker famed for ultra‑complicated timepieces like the Aeternitas Mega 4, faced the challenge of fitting ever more intricate mechanisms into tiny wristwatch cases. To combine 21st‑century engineering with classical watchmaking and avoid costly design errors, Franck Muller adopted SolidWorks software as its design platform.

SolidWorks enabled engineers to visualize individual components and simulate the motion of mechanisms to detect and eliminate interference before production, allowing Franck Muller to successfully design highly complex movements. Using SolidWorks, the company has validated designs with extreme scale and detail—examples include the Aeternitas Mega 4’s 1,483 parts, 205 sub‑assemblies and 36 complications—reducing interference errors and accelerating development.

Franck Muller

Jean Golay

R&D Engineer